On Monday, 28th September 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr George Chaponda, is going to address the United Nations General Assembly general debate after what he describes as a “great week” of diplomacy, marked by engagements aimed at securing international partnerships, development financing and investment opportunities for Malawi.
Chaponda is representing President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika at the 81st UN General Assembly, where his forthcoming national statement is expected to provide an important platform for Malawi to articulate its development priorities and reinforce its call for stronger international cooperation.
During the past week, the Minister had a series of bilateral engagements that have placed education, investment, mining and economic diplomacy high on Malawi’s international agenda.
Among the notable outcomes is Malawi’s engagement with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), through which the country secured reported financing of about US$150 million for education programmes.
Chaponda has also pursued new diplomatic relationships, including Malawi’s establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Andorra, while other bilateral engagements have opened discussions around trade, investment and economic cooperation.
A particularly significant engagement has been with the United Arab Emirates, where Chaponda met a UAE Minister of State who expressed interest in Malawi’s critical minerals and mining sector.
The UAE engagement therefore adds another dimension to Chaponda’s economic diplomacy: attracting potential investors and strategic partners at a time when Malawi is looking for new sources of foreign exchange, employment, industrialisation and economic diversification.
After what he describes as a highly productive week, expectations are building around what message the Foreign Affairs Minister will deliver on behalf of President Mutharika and the Government of Malawi.
His statement is expected to place Malawi’s development ambitions within the broader international agenda while highlighting the importance of partnerships capable of supporting education, investment, mining, trade and sustainable economic transformation.
The 81st UN General Assembly opened on 8th September 2026, and the High-Level General Debate began on Tuesday, 22nd September under the theme restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.
